o TheHiftory of Book IJ 



GOYAVIER. 



TO begin with the Fruit-Trees $ there is fome account 

 made of the Goyavier, which comes necr the figure of 

 the Laurel, fave that the Leaves are fofter, of a brighter green, 

 and more cottened on the lower-fide. The Bark of this Tree 

 is very thin and imooth : It moots forth at the roots feveral 

 lackers, which if not taken away, will in time make a thick 

 wood about it, as far as there is any good ground. Its branches, 

 which are thick and well furnifrYd with leaves , are loaden 

 twice a year with little white Flowers, which are followed by 

 feveral green Apples, which become yellow, and of a good 

 fnell when they are ripe. This Fruit hath on the top a little 

 pofie like a Crown, and the meat within is either white or red, 

 full of little kernels, like thofe of a Pomegranate $ whence the 

 Dutch call it the fweet Pomegranate : It is about the bignefs of a 

 Pear main, and ripens in one night. 



Being eaten green, it is aftringent: whence it is ufed by 

 many againft Bloody-Fluxes : but being ripe it hath a quite 

 contrary effecl:. 



PAPATEK. 



THe Papayer is a Tree which grows without boughs, 

 about 15 or 20 foot high, big proportionably to its 

 height, hollow and fpongious within, whence it is ufed to 

 convey Springs and tvi vulets to dt verle places. There are t wo 

 kinds of it $ one commonly found in all the Iflands. The 

 leaves of it are divided into three points, much like the leaf 

 of the Fig-tree : They are fattened to longtails, as big as a 

 mans thumbs, and hollow within. They Ihoot out of the top 

 of the Tree , and bending downwards , they cover feveral 

 round fruits, about the bignefs ofthe great Quince-pear, -which 

 grow round the boal to which they are faftened. 



The other kind is particular to the I (land of Saute Croix. 

 It is fairer, and hath more leaves then the former : but what 

 caufes it to be more efteem'd is its Fruit, which is about the 

 bignefs of a Melon , and of the figure of a womans breaft, 

 whence the Portnghefe call it Mamao. 



There is this particularly remarkable in thefe Trees, that 

 they bring forth new fruits every moneth in the year. The 

 flower of both kind is of good fcent, and comes neer that of 

 Jejjemine. The Fruit of the latter is accounted among the 

 choiceft entertainments of the Iflands, in as much as being come 

 to perfection it hath a firm fubftance, and may be cut in pieces 

 like a Melon, and is of a very pleafant tafte. The rind is yel- 

 low, intermix d with certain green lines, and within it is full 



